Semiconductor lasers are key elements in the advancing performance of many systems, such as optical fiber communications, optical data storage, laser printing, full color displays, biochemical monitoring, optical clock generation and quantum key distribution.
Vertical cavity, surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) have become well established as low cost light sources for short distance data communications applications. There is extensive interest in extending the utility of VCSELs. However, barriers to further applications include efficient emission at targeted wavelengths and transverse modal properties. In particular, as a result of their very short cavities, VCSELs generally offer the benefit of single longitudinal mode emission, but at the expense of limited output power in fundamental transverse mode.